Height: 5'9" (176cm)
Weight: 155 lbs
Age: 35
Fighting out of: Tokyo, Japan
Camp: GRABAKA
Akihiro Gono (born October 7, 1974 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese mixed martial arts fighter. He currently fights as a welterweight in the UFC. He is best known for his clever and deceptive fighting style, and for his flashy ring entrances. His fighting style is characterized by skillfully avoiding strikes, using fast counter punches and generally getting the opponent to fight his way. He is nicknamed the " Magic Man" for his ability to pull out bizarre submissions often when it looks like he has nothing available.
Gono holds wins over such fighters as Gegard Mousasi, Yuki Kondo, Ivan Salaverry, Crosley Gracie, Daniel Acacio, and Dae Won Kim. He has fought many tough opponents, with losses to such fighters as Mauricio Rua, Dan Henderson, Matt Hughes, and Yuki Kondo.
Gono began making his ring entrances in Pride FC more elaborate in 2006 with the creation of a character, DJ Gozma (a parody of Japanese musician DJ OZMA). The entrances have involved Gono wearing a vintage suit, including shoes, an orange wig, and accompanied by oddly dressed male dancers while the song age age EVERY Night by DJ OZMA plays in the background. Also, when the fighters are introduced in the ring, Gono drops his suit's pants to reveal zebra stripped fighting briefs.
Gono defeated Tamdan McCrory at UFC 78, by verbal submission due to an Armbar at 3:19 of the second round. It was reported (first by Dave Meltzer) that he came out to his usual entrance with his DJ GOZMA persona.
Gono then took on Dan Hardy at UFC 89, but suffered defeat via Split Decision. Gono was left swollen and bloody by several of Hardy's left hooks. Gono rocked Hardy on more than one occasion. In the third round Gono pushed Hardy to the canvas, and while there landed an illegal knee to the face of the downed fighter. Causing the fight to be stopped for a lengthy period. Hardy recovered and went on to win the split decision. The judges saw the bout 29-28 (twice) for Hardy, and 29-28 for Gono.
Gono lost to Jon Fitch in a preliminary bout at UFC 94: St. Pierre vs. Penn 2







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